Morning Edition for Tuesday, November 5, 2013

With a vote of 61-30, the Senate voted to move forward on legislation that would prohibit workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Monday's vote opens the floor to debate on the bill and the Senate is expected to schedule a full vote by week's end.

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More than 12 million Americans buy health insurance on their own, and many are getting cancellation notices because their individual coverage does not meet the standards of the Affordable Care Act. This is causing anxiety and anger — especially since most of these people can't get onto the healthcare.gov website to figure out their options for 2014.

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The reversal of a conservation law court decision to protect Michigan's Au Sable River is an unintended outcome from large donations by anonymous funders funneled through tax-exempt organizations. Known as 501(c)4s, these groups are becoming a vehicle of choice for big donors to hide large political donations.

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Last year, Sacramento Kings fans were saying goodbye, expecting the NBA team to move to Seattle. But new ownership came together just in time, and the Kings stayed put. The new management plans to build the Kings into a contender, and a big part of that blueprint involves building up a fan base in — believe it or not — India.

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States have spent big on setting up their health insurance exchanges. But figuring out where the money is going can be difficult because some states don't release the information. The contractor running Connecticut's marketplace call center hasn't had to reveal pricing.

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Johnson & Johnson became the latest drugmaker to reach a costly agreement with the federal government over charges of improper marketing. The widely anticipated settlement, unveiled Monday, covers Natrecor, a drug for congestive heart failure, and antipsychotics Risperdal and Invega.

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The world's top 100 billionaires have a combined fortune of $2.1 trillion, according to Bloomberg Markets magazine. In the latest issue out Tuesday, it lists the richest of the rich. Morning Edition's David Greene talked to editor Matthew Miller, who oversees the rankings.

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Luxury property in the Big Apple goes for an average of around $2,000 a square foot. Much cheaper than comparable apartments in London at nearly $10,000 a square foot or $8,800 in Hong Kong. But The New York Times reports with the wealthy flocking to Manhattan, prices are going up.

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It's Election Day for many communities across the country. Renee Montagne talks to NPR Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving, who rounds up the election prospects. Two states will choose governors, several cities will elect mayors, and in many regions, ballot initiatives will determine how communities function.

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A new study published finds that women who followed a Mediterranean-style of eating in their 50s were about 40 percent more likely to reach the later decades without developing chronic diseases and memory or physical problems, compared to women who didn't eat as well.

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Roy Choi changed the food truck fad forever when he and his friend started selling Korean barbecue tacos outside clubs in Los Angeles. He talks about his life and his food truck foundations in his new book, L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food.

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The Taliban in Pakistan are looking for a new tactical leader — the last one, Hakimullah Mehsud, was killed in a drone strike in late October. For more on the group, Steve Inskeep talks to Sebastian Abbot, the Islamabad Bureau Chief for The Associated Press.

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After her husband cheated, Carol Anne Bond started spreading toxic chemicals on surfaces the other woman might touch. She was caught and convicted of violating the Chemical Weapons Convention. But does a law implementing an international treaty apply when the victim's only injury was a thumb burn?

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About 22 percent of sun-like stars in our galaxy may have planets orbiting them that are about the size of Earth and bathed in similar amounts of sunlight, according to a new analysis of data from the Kepler Space Telescope.

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While making the new album Matangi, the singer-rapper discovered she had a divine counterpart: a Hindu goddess who shares both her birth name and her taste for self-expression. She speaks with NPR's David Greene about fame, war and controversy.

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In Japan, a small mouth is considered attractive on a woman, which was a big problem for the country's biggest burger chain. It introduced a wrapper with a large triangle featuring a serene smile, which hides the real mouth chowing down on the burger. Sales to women have gone up 200 percent.